Timeshare Advice Centre quarterly: 2020 timeshare claims success stories and payouts so far

Client visits and 2020 success stories

Just before Christmas last year, two of our clients received their pay-outs and kindly shared their experiences. Both visited our office in Spain in January to tell us their story – and to enjoy a sunny break with our compliments.

First, the Bradshaws – a couple who first approached us in late 2016 after growing concerns about their Club La Costa timeshare. They told us the issues had been mounting for some time, and they had reached the point where they wanted to take action. After reviewing their situation, we found their contract was not compliant with Spanish law, and their case was passed to our collaborating firm of lawyers, M1 Legal.

In 2012, the couple were sold a fractional timeshare at Sierra Marina Resort, owned by Club La Costa World, for £8,000. They had also previously paid CLC £19,000 for other schemes. On top of that, they faced an annual maintenance fee of £5,000.

Our team were delighted when the Bradshaws received their pay-out. “We received €16,076 just in time for Christmas,” they said. “This was like a big cloud over us and now that it has been lifted we don’t need to worry about family being lumbered with unwanted timeshare bills. We sincerely thank ECC and M1 Legal teams for their efforts.” (ECC stands for European Consumer Claims, a company of which Timeshare Advice Centre is a trading name.)

Andrew Cooper, CEO of ECC, commented: “I am pleased that we were able to produce this outcome for the Bradshaws. We look forward to doing the same for many other clients in the future.”

The Bradshaws’ story even reached Yahoo! Finance, who also published an article about their case. (add in link)

Next, Mr Townsend, who purchased a one-bedroom apartment timeshare in Gran Canaria at Airtours Beach Club in 2000. Over the following 15 years, he paid more than a further £20,000 in maintenance fees, after they rose by more than 110%.

Mr Townsend says he was assured Airtours could be trusted as they were a British company, but he did not feel their actions supported that. The timeshare was sold as an investment and described as 5-star accommodation that his family could continue to use after he was gone. “But that was not the case. I later found out I had been misinformed and felt trapped with no option to sell. I was also becoming increasingly worried about my family being held liable for the annual maintenance bills.”

Mr Townsend stopped using the property in 2016. “In early December 2019, M1 Legal informed me that the Judge had passed final judgement, and shortly before Christmas, I received the sum of €20,202,” he said.

“If there is anyone who is on the fence about pursuing a claim with ECC and M1 Legal, then I am happy to recommend them based on my personal experience,” Mr Townsend added. “It is my understanding that my case was not easy and I would like to thank M1 Legal for pushing to get a positive outcome.”

Year-to-date results (Q1 2020)

The first three months of 2020 were busy, with clients achieving positive outcomes in the Spanish courts. Here’s a review of what the first quarter brought.

Timeshare legal claims in Spain can take time to progress through the courts. It is not a quick process, and our appointed legal teams work hard to pursue the outcomes we report. With the lockdown in Spain cutting the quarter short in March, and the courts temporarily closed for the past couple of weeks, we do not have any new favourable judgments to share from that period.

We can, however, share year-to-date figures. So far, we have obtained 47 victories from cases that have gone to court in recent months, with 20 of those against Club La Costa alone. In addition, we have been successful in 62 jurisdiction cases – typically where the defendant has appealed to change the geographical location of where the case should be heard.

We are also proud to report that, from these resolved cases, over £700,000 has been awarded back to our clients.

Timeshare owners contact us for many reasons: to ask how to dispose of a timeshare, to explore whether they can claim money back, and to share the emotional impact of feeling trapped by ongoing fees and obligations. Helping consumers move forward and resolve these issues is what our team works towards.

What happens next?

Everyone is aware of the COVID-19 outbreak and its impact worldwide. To comply with government orders in both the UK and Spain, we temporarily closed all of our offices to protect our staff. However, over recent weeks we have worked hard to ensure our team can continue working from home.

This means we are still contactable, and it is largely business as normal. We continue to offer phone and video calls so clients can discuss their situation from the comfort of their own home. The main change on the legal side is that the Spanish courts remain temporarily closed. Until they reopen, we cannot submit claims. In the meantime, our legal team are preparing cases so they are ready to file once the courts are operating again.

If you have time at home, it is a good opportunity to dig out your paperwork and give us a call about your timeshare concerns.